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(No Model.) 4 G. V. AVERY.

SHAFT TUG.

Patented Apr. 5, 1887.

m, U Q Lia 6% UNITED STATES PATENT O ErcE.

GEORGE V. AVERY,

OF WONEWOG, WISCONSIN, Assreno'n oEoNE-HALE TO GEORGE r. SINN, OF SAME PLACE.

SHAFT-'TUG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,752, dated April 5, 1887.

Application filed Drcember '7, 1886. Serial No. 120.921. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE V. AVERY, of Wonewoc, in the county of Juneau and State of \Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shaft Tugs or Loops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it,

referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in shaft tugs or loops; and it consists in the combination of the body or casting, which is attached directly to the harness and which is provided with a suitable groove and a recess in its'outer side, wit-h the flexible connection, which is fastened at the lower end of the body or casting, the casting, which is connected to the other end of the flexible connection, and the spring-actuated loop, which is connected to the body and which catches over the mova ble casting so as to lock it into position, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to provide a a harness loop or tug which is made in two or more parts, which are adapted to be opened so as to receive the shaft without the necessity of either having to back the horse or move the vehicle back and forth in order to have the ends of the shaft enter the loops, and thus ,greatly facilitate the harnessing of the animal to the vehicle.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a harness loop to which my invention is applied. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, showing the loop opened ready to receive the shaft.

A represents the body of the tug, which is provided with the two loops B upon its inner side for attachment to the harness. This body or casting A is provided with the groove 0 upon its outer side, so as to receive the'other metallic part of the tug, and with the recess or opening D. In the rear side of the bodyA is made a suitable groove,E,in which is placed a suitable spring, F, for operating the clasp. Secured to the lower end of this body A is a suitable flexible connection, G, which serves to support the shaft and to connect the metallic parts of the tug together. Secured to the other end of the flexible connection G is the casting H, which has its inner side to fit in the recess or groove formed in the outer side of the body A, and thus prevent the parts from getting out of line with each other or having any movement one upon the other. Secured to the inner side of this casting H is the stud or projection I, whichcatches in the opening or recess D made in the body A, and thus serves to hold the two parts more securely in line with each other.

Pivoted upon the back ofthe body A,in any suitable manner, is the loop J, which serves to hold the two metallic parts of the tug in position after they have been closed, and which can be raised upward at any time into a vertical position, so as to allow the two parts A H of the tug to be freely openedand thus receive the end of the shaft of the vehicle. This loop is provided with the prong or projection L, which bears against the spring I and through which the spring exerts its tension in keeping the loop closed after it is once dropped in position over the upper end of the movable part H. \Vhen the loop is raised into the vertical position shown, this projection L bears against the spring and forces the spring inward against the casting, and the tension of the spring then prevents the loop from instantly closing. After the two metallic parts of the tug have been opened outward, the end of the shaft can be dropped freely between them, and then the loop is dropped down into a horizontal position, thus locking the two parts together.

\Vhen tugs are used which cannot be opened to receive the shaft, either the animal must be backed or the vehicle must be drawn up to it, necessitating walking around the animal one or more times in order to get the ends of the shafts into the tugs.

- Where the loop is constructed as above described, the animal may be backed at once in position, the shaft raised up and locked, and the animal hitched, or the shaft maybe raised back against the vehicle and let down and hitched, as preferred. Where the animal is in any way nervous or skittish, the work of harnessing up is greatly facilitated in every way.

Having thus described my invention, I

5 claim- 1. In a shaft tug or loop, the combination of the body A, having the loops B, formed upon its inner side for attachment to the harness, the flexible connection G, the movable casting IO H, provided with a flange upon its inner side to catch in the corresponding recess in the body A, and the pivoted loop which is connected to the body A and which catches over the top of the casting II and locks it in posi- 15 tion, substantially as shown.

2. In a shaft tug or loop, the combination of the body or casting A,provided with the groove GEORGE V. AVERY.

Witnesses:

O. F. LEE, J. O. PIERCE. 

